An independent magazine aimed at bringing the works of the young and talented to the whole world. Believing in ideas, thoughts and concepts, Garde Magazine follows the principle of simplicity and honesty.

Founders
Cleo Tse

cleo.tse@gardemagazine.com

Natasha Chan

natasha.chan@gardemagazine.com

Copy Editor
Marie-JosĂŠe Kelly

mariejosee.kelly@gardemagazine.com

Creators
Alexandra Gromova

Margaux-Alix Gardet

Susan Holtham

Rosie Connolly

Yuki Teraoka

Contributors
Sage Basilio

kristine.sage@gardemagazine.com

David Madsen

david.madsen@gardemagazine.com

Special thanks
Julen Hernandez
Karl Ă&#x2013;stgĂĽrd
Lensational

Editorial
Merry artsy and creative Christmas everyone! It has been 8 months since we launched and
we simply couldn’t be happier. We are very excited
to bring you presents for this lovely festival and
you don’t even need to wait until Christmas to see
them!
First of all, in this issue we are proud to
have Susan Holtham, the founder of Smash Bang
Dollop. Susan is a wonderful and courageous lady
who was brave enough to pursue her dream after
switching her full-time job to a part-time one – just
to make creative cupcakes. The beautiful cover of
this magazine is an example of how delectable her
work is!
We for sure have a reason to wish you an
ARTSY Christmas too. Two of our creators, Alexandra and Rosie, are both from the field of Fine
Art. They each hold their own specific kinds of
creativity that explain Fine Art in brand new ways.
And there is Yuki who shows his environmentally
friendliness in interior and spatial design. Excited
yet?
Secondly, to fill up your stomach even
more, we are presenting you with extraordinary
dresses and accessories designed by Dress In Print,
a local fashion print brand started up by Tania

Cheung. The collaboration with Garde Magazine
and Dress In Print means: Garde Magazine’s readers have discounts on shopping in Dress In Print.
So get yourself prepared, ladies!
This is also the first time Garde Magazine
is reporting on the charity organisation Lensational.
We have exposed our content on this beforehand
because we tried to help raise funds. Congratulations to Lensational for the success of fundraising. Let’s see from the backstage how it works to
empower women and photography.
Last but definitely not least, popular YouTuber and creator from issue one, Julen Hernandez, grandly returns to tell us what actually happens
when you’re a YouTuber. Is it pleasure to be so
popular or pressure to have so much expectation?
Again, we are very happy to spend the very
first Christmas with you and we are longing to keep
you coming for more next year.
Happy reading, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Garde Magazine!

Who wouldn’t want to be
friends with Susan considering
the non-stop supply of cakes and
sweets? “I’m continually trying out
new recipes [of cakes] and forcing
them on friends and neighbours!”
Susan Holtham has been a
self-proclaimed amateur baker for
the past four years. She decided to
take a chance and make her full-time
job part-time, while dedicating the
other part to her cake business.
“Although I know it won’t
be easy, I’m really excited about the

future. I aim to expand the output
of the business and refine areas to
develop for the kind of business
that I want to have,” says Susan.
Her business, as she calls it,
is a micro-bakery, which is described
as “one which has fewer than ten
employees and a turnover or balance
sheet total of less than €2 million”
by the United Kingdom definition.
Behind the scenes of all the beautiful cakes and cupcakes, is a home
kitchen and small-scale production.

Susan loves sweets and has

been baking since she was a child. Her
parents were open-minded and gave her
free-reign in the kitchen. She is quite determined and knows how to plan ahead.
The only question that trips her is: what
desserts do you like the best‎ if you have
to choose?
“This is a hard question! I love
vanilla and berry based desserts, a berry
frangipane tart with clotted cream ice
cream would be heaven. Or any ice cream
to be honest! I love creamy rather than
chocolate-y things…”
She’s been carefully planning
ahead before completely resigning from
her other job.
“I’ve built a small but loyal customer base and a new, independent café
opened up locally this summer – working
with them to supply their cakes gave me
the push I needed.”
Smash Bang Dollop is the name
of Susan’s cake business. She explained to
us how she came up with the name and
how the Pop movement inspired it.
“I love to experiment with bold
and interesting flavours without being too
fussy. I started to think about the ideas
behind comics and graphic novels – such
as fantasy, superpowers, explosions and
nostalgia - a few puns later and Smash
Bang Dollop was born!”

Although Susan has more flexi-

bility in running her business now, it is still
a big task. She starts early in the morning
and prepares all the orders she has, which
includes delivery to the café and a local
market. She spends the rest of her day
doing social media work and research and
usually ends it by prepping ingredients for
the next day’s bake.
Susan shares one of her most impressive orders with us.
“I recently made a huge rainbow
cake for the independent British jewellery
retailer Tatty Devine with less than 24
hours notice to celebrate their 15th birthday. I absolutely love their style and so
although it was a tight-turnaround, it was a
dream come true!”
Smash Bang Dollop does not have
a physical shop. Susan relies on social

media, which has become a crucial tool
for the self-funded business. Even though
resources are little and it will take time to
see any kind of profit, Susan enjoys every
minute of it.
“I’m really enjoying the new found
time I have to put real effort and energy into it, meet some more like-minded
people and make some new connections
whose job it is to love talking about food!”
In the future, Susan is targeting
more weddings, corporate orders, creative
commissions and a brand new online ordering website.
We asked her if she had a piece of
advice: “If you’re thinking of starting up a
business, the best advice I’ve been given is:
just do it!”

Clay
creatures
Rosie Connolly
Fine Art
By Kristine Sage

“What I find intriguing is the transformation of
something that is perhaps seen
as grim or ‘grotesque’ into
something beautiful, distinct
and new. The contrast between
the delicate treatment of the
surface, the material, and the
form itself create a friction
that is intended to generate a
dialogue and a different way
of viewing things.”
Rosie Connolly’s work
has received nothing but great
reviews in her field. Her journey in the career of art was
influenced by a roller coaster
ride of no limits. Throwing
herself into the world of
ceramics was not always her
ultimate goal in life, but the
path that brought her there
makes an extremely great story
to tell.
Garde Magazine sits down with Rosie and
shares her story.
Why didn’t you choose ceramics in the
beginning?
When I was applying for my BA, I was a
dedicated painter, I had always made paintings. But
my foundation course had a ceramics room that
really piqued my interest. It was full of different
clays, chemicals and equipment I had never seen
before.
The summer before I started at Chelsea,
I enrolled on a short course in ceramics and was

captivated. Influenced by this, my paintings slowly
became more sculptural and full of texture. I added
sawdust, sand, plaster and anything I could find to
mix with the paint.
I soon realised that I could not achieve
what I wanted in paint and threw myself into
ceramics. I think studying ceramics in a fine art
context was extremely beneficial to my practice. It
really pushed me to experiment and test the boundaries of the material.
I felt as though I wasn’t bound by any limits, I could use the clay in any way I wanted to. It
fuelled my interest in the significance of the display
of artwork, as the impact of the museum is deeply
ingrained in ceramics.

Is there any other media that you like to
use?
I made some work in bronze during
my degree, cast from a clay sculpture and some
pieces cast in wax. I liked the clash of different
materials shown together. It undermined the
presumed preciousness of the ceramic pieces,
adding a jarring feeling to the installation.
I would definitely like to take this further and explore working with different metals.
Currently, I am thinking about incorporating
glass into the work somehow, that is the next
challenge.
Tell us what you have learned as you reflect
on your creations.
There is always more. A project is never
really finished; it develops and feeds in to the
next. I remember my tutors telling me â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the final
show isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t finalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and they were right. Likewise,
there is always more to know, to find out. Always dig deeper.
In what ways do you think clay represents
you the most?
Clay has completely transformed my
work. I am able to realise things in clay that I
could not properly express before. The process of making in clay is slow, disciplined and
methodical.
When I was painting, I often found that
the speed with which it allowed me to work
could be detrimental to what I was trying to
achieve. I would act rashly and, in my view, ruin
a piece with a few brushstrokes. I did not think
I had any patience until I started to work with
clay, when I found it was infinite. Working in
clay makes me carefully consider everything I
do, each mark, each twist, and each feather.
Do you like animals a lot?
I do like animals! Particularly birds,
I am mesmerised by their vibrant colours,
feathers and the fact they can fly. They are
so strange, as though from a different time. I

Clay is central to my practice. It has an undeniable physical presence. The rawness of clay in its dense, matte state
makes it so distinct, engaging and touchable. It is something that can be sensed by a kind of virtual touch as well
as visually. The possibilities offered by the material drive
and inspire my work. Its tactility and plasticity mean
the making process is immediate and instinctive. This is
reflected in the intimacy I feel with each piece, something
I aim to reproduce in the interaction with the viewer.

The ornament of historical architecture and interiors
alongside textural details found in nature has instilled
in me a keen interest in the ceramic surface. The visual
depth offered by different techniques enlivens each piece
in a unique way. I have recently been experimenting with
carving individual lines of texture in to different slips
painted onto the clay. The repeated detail creates a feeling
of movement and fluidity, animating the form.

My experience working with ceramics in a fine art context has instigated my engagement in the supposed divide
between art and craft. I am interested in the way that
ceramics can traverse this apparent disconnect through
the treatment of the material and the specific display of
the work.v

Ceramics has an enduring connection to the museum
and this has become an important consideration when I
begin making my work. An integral part of my practice is
the use of display in this way to heighten the experience
of the piece by the viewer.

suppose with their close links to dinosaurs they are. Foxes are of particular
interest to me too. Their prominence in
myth and folklore give them a mystical
quality, whilst their presence in towns,
cities and on the roadside gives them
the appearance of outsiders.
Your works are mainly based on
animals, why is that?
I find animals fascinating. They
are so other to us, but so easily imbued
with human qualities. Using animals
in my sculpture is a way of exploring human concerns from a removed
standpoint, not unlike in Aesop’s fables.
The heightened extremes in the lives of
animals epitomise the physicality I want
to portray.
Also, they are mainly laid on the
ground. Why?
I am really interested in the somatic qualities of clay, how it relates to
and reflects the body. So in my sculptures, I want to portray weightiness,
a sense of gravity. The pieces have a
feeling of stillness, whilst also seeming
to be on a tipping point, on the verge
of something else. There is a subtle
tension. I like the idea of a graceful
slump or an elegant crash.
Could we ask why your works are
mainly monotone?
I used to use a lot of different
colours in my work, mixing up matte,
dry glazes to apply to the sculptures.
But as I have continued, I have found
that fired clay in its original raw state,
is so tangible and corporeal. It is far
better suited to what I want to portray. Using glazes and lots of different
colours adds decorative aspect to ceramics, something that I think detracts
from texture and form of the work.

Is there a unified message that
you want to convey from the animals?
I don’t know if there is a unified message per se. I am interested in conveying a physical awkwardness, a collapse,
and a frailty in the forms. There is vulnerability in the positions of the pieces,
almost helplessness.
What is your next project?
At the moment, I am planning
on expanding some of my sculptures,
like the swan and the small birds in
‘Flock’ into larger series. I think the
way multiple works can relate to one
another through how they are placed
is really thought provoking. They can
form a spatial narrative as the accumulated carved lines of texture form each
piece and, in turn, each piece forms the
installation as a whole.
What is your future plan?
The possibilities seem endless
right now. Since graduating, everything
is wide open. I have my studio at 318
Ceramics in Farnham, where I am busy
building up a body of new work. It has
been fantastic, I was worried coming
out of university that I wouldn’t have
anywhere I could continue making my
sculptures, as working in ceramics I
need more than an empty room as a
studio.
I want to keep making, keep
creating and to start showing my
work. At some point in the future I
would like to continue my studies. I
am looking for opportunities to make
some work in response to a particular
museum or collection and exhibit it
among the original pieces, enlivening
and reanimating them in a new context.

From the top of a glass highrise,
roots and branches of a humongous mangrove tree cascade towards the ground,
eager to spread outwards into the city.
Military helicopters circle warily around,
unsure how to handle this large-scale
infestation. This is not science fiction,
however – this is the artistic starting point
for one of Yuki Teraoka’s interior design
projects.
With two interior-designer parents, Yuki’s path might seem like it was set
from birth. Growing up in Japan, his two
best friends were “Lego and the very old
Apple computers.” He preferred drawing
to taking notes in class.
However, his way to the field was
not as simple as just following his parents.
He actually says his calling is furniture design – interior design is just the logical expansion of that field: “I found that good
furniture not only stands out as a piece of
art but also harmonises with the interior
at the same time. I needed to understand
the spatial relations to furniture, in order
to create outstanding, yet harmonious
work.”
“My parents are not the kind of
people to give me clear advice whenever

I want. Instead, they are more
likely to put me somewhere I
have never been before, making
me take any necessary means to
figure out the way home myself.”
But back to the big parasitic tree. Believe it or not, but
this outlandish scenario is actually the result of a collaboration
with a developer about designing
the interior of a student accomodation on the high street of
Stratford in the UK.
Inspired by the bleakness
of the area, Yuki felt that an
infusion of life was needed, like
a plant growing up from a crack
in the sidewalk. In this case, an
unidentified life-form would be
introduced, slowly taking over
the area like a fungus or bacteria, its starting point and nerve
center at the top of the student
housing itself. Now, before you
get worried on behalf of the

developer who has to build the
natural elements and the overall
project, this is actually how Yuki’s spatial idea, remains the same.
design process works.
“Since it is really a
“My ideas tend to be
fictional work, things like the
really unrealistic at first. The
scale and growing speed [of the
reason for this is if I choose to
plants] might not be realistic,
start from a realistic level, I am
though these are actually based
capping myself not to go crazy,
on real facts. Some plants do
which in turn means things get
grow a lot within a week and
mediocre, and the solution for
the dominating process is takthe building process will be easily ing bacteria as an example. The
found. There is no innovational
structure of the building is based
achievement within the existing.
on a tree, therefore I tried to
I love innovative and stimulating make the building breathable by
experiences, so I don’t mind how having wind circulation through
much I struggle in the process.
the whole building’s interior, so it
In fact it is rather fun, because I
doesn’t interfere the natural flow
know the outcome will be some- of the environment.”
thing extraordinary.”
The Star Wars movies
Looking through the
might have tempted young Yuki
design process, you can see how
to become an astronaut (a dream
the wild, scifi-ish collages behe has since then more or less
come more and more realistic,
given up), but he can see many
but still maintain the original idea exciting futures in his current
– the expressions of growth and field as well.

Yuki Teraoka - The Seed
The project was about designing the interior of the student accommodation collaborated with Alumno Developments. The site is located on
High street in Stratford where it is connected to central and there are huge shopping mole and Olympic park near there. My concept was to
create a living building by implanting an unidentified living form, inspired from natural elements like plants, fungus and bacteria, to slowly
take over the area to revive the surrounded environment since buildings around seems to be dead although these are close to one of the main
street.

Idea concept of The Seed

“Interior design is often referred to as the ‘general
store’ of the design practice,
because you learn so many
different kinds of stuff. You
can even learn programming
if neccessary, which I am
working on right now for my
project. Since anything can
exist in a space, the amount
of possibilities you can
achieve are countless! And it
is not only about 3D, there
are lots of dimensions that
are intricately interconnected.
Let’s take people for example. They not only occupy
the space, but their thought,
behaviour and consciousness
are also flowing through the
area.”
Within his field, Yuki
can see three distinct possibilities for his future: game
design, stage design or movie
set design. Yuki likes games,
and they can be played at
home, he likes the stage as he
himself plays an instrument
and he likes movies, especially
the way visual effects allow
you to create almost anything.

But his ultimate

dream is much more unconventional: designing a new
educational system for Japan.
“I want to do this is
because I really wish I would
have learned these technical skills when I was young.
Imagine if all the kids could
learn what they like at a very
early stage. How may things
could they achieve in the future? Kids are born to learn.
Look at babies, they even
put things in their mouths
to learn what it is. So what is
killing their passion of pursuing knowledge? The answer
is easy because we’ve all been
through it.”
Yuki’s long-term plan
is to get into the London
design scene and pick up
enough experience to start his
own design studio. He is currently working on three projects – a year project for his
final year show, a collaboration with the architecture and
engineering firm Arup and
an exhibition called “Roots”
about discovering what your
roots mean to you. Lastly, he
hopes to discover more about
beauty in seamless harmony.

Alexandra Gromova is
a figurative painter of unseen
human experiences. Her paintings are based on human emotions, memories and dreams. “I
am attempting to create a story,
which has no words but is represented by an image,” she says.
Born in the Soviet
Union, Alexandra says she is
nostalgic about her childhood.
“It was about happiness and
innocence”- emotions that she
can only remember about a
country that one day suddenly
disappeared.
Alexandra is indeed a
dreamer and says she is constantly between reality and
dreams, which is perhaps why
she can capture the invisible,
untouchable and intangible in
her work so well.
She studied economics
instead of art so that she could
earn money. “When I was a
child I used to take painting

classes. Unfortunately, after school I had no
chance to study art,” she says. “Then later I took
some classes with a quite famous Russian contemporary painter, Stanislav Svetochenkov, and
studied academic drawing in the Russian Academy of Arts.”
It was only five years ago when Alexandra decided to make her “journey into the
absolute unknown” and move to London where
she knew no one. “I was afraid but I encouraged
myself by saying that I could always go back
home, but I didn’t and my permanent home is
now London,” she says. It was in London that
she studied Fine Art at Chelsea College of Arts.
Her artistic style
Alexandra describes her work as “honest,
deep and philosophical.” She was inspired by
people when she started figurative painting. “We
[people] are all so different but at the same time
we are alike. We all breathe, feel, love, hate, suffer
etc,” she says.

Alexandra Gromova - Burnt

As a painter, she is inspired by both
silence and solitude. “They are so deep and
magnetic and I just can’t overlook them,” she
says. But the person who inspired her the most

Alexandra Gromova - Tightness

For me, it was interesting to experiment with transparency as it connected with silence, invisibility and immateriality. However most of my other earlier works and my current ones - are made on canvases using oil.
Each work is a story for me.However, for me art is open for discussion and everyone perceives a piece of art in
its own way and it differs it from politics for example- to raise a thought or discussion rather then persuade
observers.

was her mother. “She taught me
not to be afraid of anything and
just go ahead. She was a very
kind, goal-oriented and talented
person,” she says.
Alexandra is also
fascinated by orthodox icons.
“I like to visit cathedrals, not
only orthodox ones, as they all
incorporate spiritual aura,” she
says. “I can observe Orthodox
icons for hours, as they radiate
mystery and create enigma. I
like Frida Kahlo and Edward
Munch, as their paintings are
reflections of their lives – sadness, sorrow, and pain.”
Alexandra also occasionally writes poetry or short
prose, which she describes as
“pretty much as philosophical
as my paintings.” During her
studies in London she also
experimented with ceramics and
other media, yet painting was
her “uncontrollable desire.” In
fact, she says “I would not be
able to survive without it.”

How she paints
Alexandra says she
needs a special atmosphere
to paint. “Being hidden from
everyone, being in absolute solitude in order to communicate
purely with my paintings, being
alone and being in silence helps
me to draw moments from my
memory and make them present.
“Ideas come unexpectedly, that’s why I sometimes
think that they come from
somewhere above, maybe from
the Cosmos. Or maybe because
I do a lot of research, it is all
in my memory and then it is
processed and I get feedback,”
she says.
“The next step after
getting an idea is selecting and
making sketches. Quite often
after editing the initial idea the
drawing stops working at all. If
it works I start to work on the
final image. However, occasionally I complete a piece of work,
I look at it and understand that

I do not feel anything from it
and so I put it straight in the
rubbish bin.”
Through her paintings,
Alexandra says her main message is about the “value and
influence of our intangible lives
– feelings and emotions. The
invisible experience, which lasts
in our unconscious: memory
or dreams,” she says. “My way
of thinking is influenced a lot
by my country, my background:
Russian culture, history, and
mentality.”
What she paints
Alexandra enjoys painting Russian orphans. “When I
look through photographs of
orphans some of them immediately catch my attention and I
just want to paint those children. They magnetise me,” she
says.
“It’s what I meant
earlier about silence and solitude. One of my works, which
is called “A girl” (2012) and

Alexandra Gromova - Frozen Flower

another “Frozen Flowers_1” (2014)
are some of my favourites. Sometimes
I am even afraid to look at them as
they talk to me. I find them incredibly
powerful.”
Alexandra says her art is all
about honesty. “I am not trying to
please someone with my paintings. It
is more to do with creating a sensitive experience for the viewer. I am
satisfied when my paintings evoke an
emotional resonance. They are more
about a silent shock without the representation of visual horror.

“There is too much artificiality
in our lives. Lies, fake emotions, created feelings, artificial words,” she says.
“Honesty touches deeply. In my opinion, only capturing sincere emotions
or experience in my paintings creates
uniqueness. It is also important for me
to be honest with myself,” she says.
Alexandra is currently I working on a series of paintings for her
next exhibitions.

Alexandra Gromova - A Girl

Up and coming

Dress In Print
When fashion meets art

Dress in Print has been paving its way through Hong
Kong after returning from the United Kingdom. The
designer behind the brand, Tania Cheung, shares the
same vision as Garde Magazine: to cherish creativity
in all creators and push the boundaries of fashion
design.
How do you define your design in terms
of style and print?
I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say there is a certain style or
frame towards my design because I collaborate
with different artists each season and I have a

different product ranges each time. Therefore,
it really depends on whom I worked with and
since the inspiration sources are so diverse,
there is no restriction or a particular set of
styles with Dress In Printâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design direction. I
really love to give happy surprises every time I
launch a new collection.
How did you come up with the idea of
collaborating with other creators?
My past experience in the fashion
industry helped to build connections with

artists from different fields such as illustrators, photographers, calligraphists etc. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also these talented
people who inspired me to have this idea. There are
very little opportunities out there for young artists
but so much potential so I want to make good use
of it. I interviewed our collaborative travel photographer and she said she would have never imagined
her work being a fashion print on fashion garments.
It was just something she loved to do and all those
lovely images were just sitting on her blog up until
then.
Personally, do you have any kinds of prints you
want to do?
I have different a kind of emotion every
time I finish a collection. One of my hobbies is
browsing online portfolios on Instagram, Showtime
etc. It is so inspiring! I will usually stumble upon an
image and I will know it is what I want to work with
next. It is like there is some kind of attachment or a
flash image of ideas.
How is developing your craft in Hong Kong
going for you so far?
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been tough and there are so many things
left to learn. It is completely different from what I
have experienced in Europe. However, I see poten-

tial in this market and Hong Kong is a very productive city.
How did you gather the courage to start your own
studio in Hong Kong?
I have always been fascinated by prints and given
that fashion design is my foundation, a fashion print label
seemed to be the best direction for me to start off with.
Hong Kong is a great place for resources and efficiency. I
believe this is a potential place to kick start building an art
community and spreading our message.
Can you compare the overall feeling between Hong
Kong and the UK towards young designers?
Dress In Print - Rainbow Deer

The design atmosphere in Hong Kong is more
reserved compared to the UK. I feel the design direction
is very framed and is less open-minded. In the UK, we are
encouraged to be dramatic and be brave, whereas in Hong
Kong, I feel like it is more structured and commercialised.
People are less likely to be experimental in design due to
the local market needs.
What kind of creator do you want to collaborate with
the most?
I am very open-minded to working with all kinds
of creators; I am looking for designers with a different
knowledge base as myself. We have so far connected with
illustrators, photographer, musicians, calligraphists etc.
What is your next project?
Our next project is about how to make fashion
move with music. We want to stick a beat into the audienceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heads when they see our products. We are experimenting on a new printing technology with fluorescent ink.

Up and coming

Lensational
A shot at social change

By Marie-JosĂŠe Kelly

What better way to encourage
social change and development than
through art? Lensational, a global
social enterprise, works to empower women in developing countries
through digital photography.
It all started in Istanbul, in
2012, when Bonnie Chiu crossed paths
with a stranger. The young girl she ran
into asked if she could have a look at
the camera Bonnie was carrying with
her.
“She’d never had the chance to
use a camera before. The sheer joy on
her face as she learned how to use one

inspired me,” says Bonnie.
Following the encounter,
Bonnie established the foundations
of Lensational along with three of her
university classmates. Since then, the
non-profit organisation has trained
150 women in Hong Kong, Myanmar,
Pakistan, the US and the UK.
“Photography transcends
geographical borders and is a universal
language. It transcends illiteracy and
this is especially important for women,” she says.
Of the world’s 774 million adults who
still cannot read or write, 64 per cent

are women. This restricts their
access to information, education
and public debate.
Bonnie explains that
Lensational aims to work
mainly with 13 to 15-year-old
public school girls because it is a
critical time of value formation.
Through this, they hope to then
reach out to their mothers.
“Photography would
allow these women to overcome
social isolation and earn extra
income, alleviating economic
dependence,” she says.
Lensational conducts
photography workshops with

the ultimate goal to raise global
awareness of gender issues.
“Having attended an
all-girls school for my primary
and secondary education made
me become more acute to the
gendered nature of poverty and
inequality,” says Bonnie. “Having relatives in Mainland China
and Indonesia made me see
how particularly acute gender
inequality is in the developing
world.”
Earlier this month, Lensational reached a crowd-funding goal that will enable them to
equip 60 Pakistani women and
their families with digital cam-

eras and photography training.
“Wherever the need for
women empowerment exists,
that is wherever we will be.”
The project to equip
women permanently in Pakistan
was launched following Malala
Yousafzai’s Nobel Peace Prize
win for her education rights activism and her struggle against
the suppression of women.
On December 16, the
world was reminded that the
fight isn’t over.

What is it...

A way to influence, enjoy and earn

youtuber

YouTube is one of the
most renowned channels of
social media and information
exchange nowadays. As an open
platform, the distributed content
is varied because of the diversity
of contributors. Julen Hernandez
is one of them.
“YouTuber” is an occupation derived from the popular
video platform. It produces
many opportunities to get exposure; it seems like everyone wants
to be famous on YouTube. The
term “YouTuber” entails not
only influences but it can also

generate money.
In issue 1 we featured
Julen, now we are digging deeper to find out more about the
journalism student and popular
YouTuber in order get a glimpse
into the world behind computers
and cameras.
How did it all start?
It happened by accident.
I knew of some people who
created videos for the Internet.
I used to watch the videos of
Charlie from his YouTube chan-

nel CharlieIsSoCoolLike. After
some time, I decided to create
my own channel. I had no idea
what the future would bring, but
I wanted to try the new multimedia platform. I had never made
videos before so I got really
excited about it.
I took my video camera,
my computer, my illegal video-editing program and I started
writing scripts. All those videos
from when I started out are
now hidden; no one can watch
them, just me. And not even I
will watch them because it is too

embarrassing.
What I’m trying to say is that every
hobby you start as a teenager tends to start in a
messy and amateur kind of way. If you are still
into it after a period of time, it develops little by
little into something more mature. Not necessarily the content but the production and the ideas
behind it all.
What do you need to do as a Youtuber?
I am my own boss. It is like my online
house with my rules. I make videos whenever
I want, I decide on the theme, location, duration and whom to invite to watch my video...
absolutely everything. And this freedom is what
makes YouTube successful. Basically all I need
to do in YouTube is to enjoy myself.
What is the relationship between you and
YouTube?
I have signed a contract with YouTube.
It stated all the responsibilities I have to obey
e.g. not using any copyrighted materials. Additionally, I cannot disclose how much they pay
me otherwise they will close my YouTube channel.
Having a YouTube channel is like playing football, one has to obey the rules. It doesn’t
mean that you won’t be able to enjoy yourself
because you are highly restricted. It’s just the
general rules you agree when opening a YouTube
channel.
How frequently do you produce videos?
I own two YouTube channels. The first
one is called Hola Julen (which means Hello Julen)
and it’s the one I put most of my effort into. It has
more than 47,000 followers and I try uploading a
video per week. Obviously, as it is my hobby and

there are more important things to do (my studies, for example) I don’t always achieve this goal.
In that case when I am super busy I upload every
other week. The other channel is called ExtraJulen
with nearly 8,000 subscribers; all the extra footage
goes there.
How do you figure out what your subscribers
want to watch?

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. There is no certain way to know if my subscribers will enjoy a video. But there is
a small trick: If I enjoy making a
video, I know my subscribers will
also enjoy watching it.
What do you want to produce
in the future?

I want to make it big.
Not just trying to make better
content for my channels but I
want my passion to grow beyond
YouTube too. I would like to
collaborate with other platforms
and brands...
Will you continue to be
a YouTuber in the future? Or do

you plan to take on more conventional work?
Sure I will. It is a hobby
and I am enjoying it so much.
Thanks to YouTube Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m assisting
a lot of events and meeting so
many interesting people. I have
no idea where I will be working
in few years.